Pensacon 2023

Founded in 2013, Pensacon is a renowned multi-genre convention that takes place once every year in Pensacola, Florida, specifically in the Pensacola Bay Center, which is the main venue for the convention. If this is your first time attending, you should know that Pensacon attracts over 25,000 people annually, with 39% of attendees being visitors. As you can imagine, this is an important event in our area, and as one of the most trusted dealerships here, we’ve created this post so that both members of our community and visitors can have a really good time.

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The Basics

Let’s go over everything you need to know before attending Pensacon. The first thing to note is that Pensacon 2023 will take place from Friday, February 24, to Sunday, February 26. As previously mentioned, the Pensacola Bay Center is the main convention venue. Here, you can purchase tickets, get autographs from your favorite celebrities, and buy food or special items from more than 100 vendors inside the venue.

What we haven’t mentioned, however, is that there are other official venues where other events will also be taking place. Those venues are the Pensacola Cultural Center, the Rex Theatre, Voices of Pensacola, De Luna Event Space, the UWF Historic Trust Bowden Building, and the Museum of Commerce. Other locations may be added, so check Pensacon’s venues page a week or a few days before attending.

Remember that most events and activities will take place from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Also, don’t forget to download the Pensacon app during the convention for a better experience.

Pass Pick-Up and Ticketing

At the time of writing this post, the Pensacon hasn’t disclosed any information regarding early pass pick-up on its official website or social media channels, so we don’t yet know the place, date, or the steps you need to follow to pick up your pass early. The company has only said that attendees can buy early passes already.

Regarding regular pass pick-up, attendees must pre-purchase their weekend passes and pick them up at Will Call one or two hours before the convention opens every day. All ticketing will take place at the Pensacola Bay Center, so please be aware of any scammer telling you otherwise. By the way, Will Call will be situated outside the Pensacola Bay Center.

What To Bring With You in Your Bag

There are three essentials anyone planning to attend Pensacola 2023 needs to bring with them: their purple pass confirmation, cash, and their phone. The purple pass confirmation lets the company know you have paid for your pass; those who decide to pick up their passes at Will Call must bring their IDs instead.

You’ll also need to bring cash, as not all vendors or celebrity guests accept credit cards. Besides, the paid parking lots outside the Pensacola Bay Center accept cash only. The ATMs inside the Bay are prone to running out of cash throughout the weekend, so make sure to visit one ahead of time.

To top it all, outside food or drinks aren’t allowed inside the Bay Center, and many of the food vendors at the front entrance don’t accept credit cards either. Finally, bring your phone so you can document all the cool stuff you come across at the Pensacola Bay Center.

Schedule and Cancellations

Every year, for the entire duration of the event, Pensacon’s celebrity guests spend their days meeting with fans, taking pictures, handing out autographs, and supporting their fanbase in general. Download the Pensacon app or check the company’s website a week or a few days before the convention for a detailed schedule of when your favorite stars will be attending.

Pensacon always announces when a potential celebrity guest can’t make it on their social media channels, so keep an eye on those. All celebrity meet-ups take place on the second floor, and you can get there using either the interior or exterior stairways. If you’d like a photo op, you’ll need to pre-purchase this.

Transportation and Parking

Another reason why you should download the app for Pensacon 2023 is that parking is segmented. You’ll need to park in a certain lot, depending on your category. For example, the lot located in the back of the Pensacon Bay Center is strictly reserved for the media, VIP passes, and vendors. The front parking of the Bay Center, on the other hand, is for handicapped attendees only, while the gravel lot across Alcaniz Street is available to all attendees.

Parking on the company’s lots costs $10 (no re-entry), but if you can’t find a spot, there are plenty of parking lots throughout the city — just note that prices may vary, but most parking lots usually charge $10 too.

Pensacon badge holders can also enjoy the trolleys that run throughout the downtown area for free. These trolleys start operating one hour before the convention’s openings every day and are available until the evening (applies to Friday and Saturday only). The event organizers will announce trolley stops some days before the convention for safety features — again, don’t forget to download the company’s app to stay up to date.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to wear a costume? While wearing costumes is celebrated and, in some cases, awarded (there’s a cosplay contest), it’s not mandatory.
• Do local hotels give discounts? Yes, many local hotels partner with Pensacon to give attendees better rates.
• Can I purchase passes at the door? You can purchase passes at the door if they aren’t sold out.

So there you have it — our guide to Pensacon 2023. We hope this post has helped you, and we wish you a great time at the convention. And by the way, make sure your car is in top condition before you go. Here at Allen Turner Hyundai, we’d love to check the condition of your car to help you prevent any unexpected events.

Pen 4 by Gideon Wright is licensed with CC BY 2.0